Only after watching the show did I discover that Sunset Road is Miria George’s first play focussing on her Cook Islands whakapapa and gave me more insight into why the show was set in the 1970s, charting her grandparents’ story.

A multitude of themes resonate within Sunset Road, the same way that the base drum does in the opening scene of the piece. [More] 

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It’s the opening night of a new New Zealand play* and my companion and I enter with great expectations. This is a beautifully produced work with an expert team from Tawata Productions behind it. Miria George’s new play promises much in its anticipation, but for my money doesn’t really deliver the punch it seeks.   

A simple but strong set – beautifully designed and lit – provides the platform for this story about the revelation of a long-held family secret and its repercussions.

The play doesn’t initially give much away. Set in Rotorua in 1975, it relies on recounted storytelling and direct interaction to access the three characters’ lives. Twins Luka (Nathan Mudge) and Lucia (Aroha White) are about to turn 21, and they are itching to get away from the confines of family and small-town life in Rotorua.

Their father Ina (Taungaroa Emile) carries a clandestine grace as he goes about his work as foreman at the local Mill. A secret has eaten him up and this will soon change the course of the twins’ lives. All three actors bring clarity, mystery and presence to their performances: an intriguing blend and the air hangs thick with anticipation.

I like the eclectic mix of elements in the characters’ lives that make this story so specific to this time and place: a beauty pageant, vintage motorcycles, husking a coconut; sand threading out of a book as if by magic … Things you couldn’t predict would reside next to each other.

Keys, sand, and a pitched roof all become metaphors for something bigger. Keys are there to lock them up or set them free; sand represents the homeland. All these pieces are explored beautifully in their detail and George’s writing bring them into relief. 

The play, however, relies heavily on narrative exposition or the anticipation of what comes next to ignite the drama fuse. Drum beats – the rhythm of the heart (healthy or broken) – signal tension. “Where are we headed? Where’s this story going?” I find myself wondering.

When the revelation comes, it’s surprising but lacks the impact that I expect it needs to have, to make sense of everything to that point. I want the emotional sucker-punch but don’t quite get it. 

There’s an Ibsenesque quality to George’s writing, and this piece reminds me of the intense family dynamic driving plays such as the extraordinary Ghosts. To my mind, it even shadows Ibsen’s observation: “Look into any man’s heart you please, and you will always find, in every one, at least one black spot which he has to keep concealed.” Secrets are the stuff of intense family drama.

I just find myself wanting more. We edge towards something explosive, but instead come away with fallout that can be tolerated. Lives aren’t torn apart in the way that Ibsen might propose, but rather return to a new definition of normality. An exceptional team of players make this drama. I just need a bit more, and perhaps that will come with further development.

*An earlier version of SUNSET ROAD was produced in 2012 – read review.

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